For parts of the race, points leaders Matt Kenseth, Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch were running 1-2-3 on the track.

It was another sign that those three drivers will contend for the championship, and they should plan on duking it out for the next seven weeks, all the way to the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

“My whole thought process was just how tough this championship's going to be,” said Johnson, who ended up winning the race. “They're bringing their best and doing their best. You've got to deliver. That was my mindset when I was racing with both of those guys for three-quarters of the race.

“It didn't surprise me. It just confirmed what I think we've all been kind of feeling and thinking about, is that those guys, they're both in a great position, and in it for the long haul.”

“You look up (and) it’s everybody that finished in front of you is all the cars that you’re racing for points,” Kenseth lamented.

Busch and Johnson both have opened the Chase with three consecutive top-five finishes. Kenseth has two wins and a seventh-place finish.

“It’s frustrating to be fifth, but yet you look at the grand scheme of things and it’s three straight top-fives to start the Chase — so not bad,” said Busch, who opened the Chase with a pair of second-place finishes.

The next-closest drivers are Kevin Harvick and Jeff Gordon, both 39 points behind.

Johnson gained 10 points on Kenseth thanks to the win.

“You've got to win when you're at your best track,” said Johnson, who scored his eighth career victory at Dover. “That being said, we had to win here today. Any points on the 18 (Busch) or the 20 (Kenseth) would have been a very good day. Max points, it's an awesome day.”

The series next heads to Kansas, where Kenseth won in April and one of Busch’s worst tracks.

That could be an opportunity for Kenseth and Johnson (who has two Cup victories at Kansas) to break away, but it also wouldn’t be surprising if Busch rises to the occasion.

Seeing each other out front could bring out the best in all of them.

“From a mental standpoint, that's the area where I thrive. … The more painful it is, the harder it is, that's where I seem to do my best work,” Johnson said.

“I don't like it. I don't enjoy that experience. But I've always done a better job and have surprised myself through those moments. It was like that in this race. I think it's going to be more so of that into the coming races to the checkered flag in Homestead.”

Charlotte test coming up

NASCAR will conduct a test Oct. 14 at Charlotte Motor Speedway to work on some concepts for the 2014 season.

The test will be the first the direction of NASCAR’s Vice President of Innovation and Racing Development Gene Stefanyshyn, who is now in charge of car design and creating rules. NASCAR Vice President of Competition Robin Pemberton is in charge of rule enforcement — technical and officiating procedures as well as issuing penalties.

One of the new rules being worked on is not having a minimum height for the cars.

“One of the things that is not any secret whatsoever — last year we tested cars with no ride-height rules,” said Pemberton, who is familiar with the direction of Stefanyshyn’s group. “It was favorable last year when we tested it but we felt like it was too much to throw at the teams with the new car.”

Teams are still being determined for the test.

“Gene and the R&D guys are working with the manufacturers to get some people to test — the guys are looking at some chassis setups, some aero and things they’ve been working in the wind tunnel to mainly concentrate on mile-and-a-half racing,” Pemberton said.

New Ford nose approved

Pemberton said that a new nose on the Ford Fusion was approved for next season.

“They needed a grille update for next year,” Pemberton said. “The (wind-tunnel) results looked to be favorable. … It doesn’t do anything aero-wise but it just helps with the debris. It was inset more than the others.

“More times than not it was harder for them to get the debris off the grille than the other makes.”

Furniture Row changes crew

Furniture Row Racing changed its pit-road crew after its recent struggles, starting with the race Sunday at Dover.

The team, which has an alliance with Richard Childress Racing, had five new crew members for Dover. Four came from Brian Scott’s Nationwide crew — front tire changer Matt Humphries, front tire carrier Thad Wymer, rear tire changer Jake Lind and jackman Brian Gainey. The rear tire carrier, Josh Sobecki, came from Austin Dillon’s team.

The original crew for Kurt Busch had struggled late in the regular season and the first couple of weeks of the Chase for the Sprint Cup.